With the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters both in scintillating form, Friday night’s clash between the two traditional rivals is looming as a potential grand final preview.
After several seasons of regression following their 2014 premiership win, the Rabbitohs, under rookie coach Anthony Seibold, have rediscovered the form that saw them lift league’s holy grail four years ago.
They have won eleven of their past twelve matches, with the only blemish being an upset 22-6 loss to the Wests Tigers in Round 19.
Last Friday night, led by incumbent New South Wales hooker Damien Cook, the Rabbitohs came from behind to defeat the Melbourne Storm by 30-20 and claim the outright premiership lead.
The victory was made all the more impressive given captain Greg Inglis has been sidelined for more than a month due to a thumb injury he suffered in their Round 16 win over the Cowboys in Cairns.
The good news for Bunnies fans is that he should be back for next week’s trip to Brisbane, where the Rabbitohs haven’t won since the opening round of the 2015 season.
Greg Inglis of the Rabbitohs. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
But the bad news to come out of the match against the Storm was the serious ACL injury suffered by rookie back Adam Doueihi, who appears set to miss the next twelve months as he undergoes a knee reconstruction.
What was just their fifth ever win against the men from AFL heartland has kept them on track to claim its first minor premiership since 1989 with four matches still to play before the finals get underway in September.
One team that are intent on stopping them in their tracks are the Sydney Roosters, who are coming off an unconvincing 26-20 win over the Cowboys in a match played in front of less than 10,000 people at Allianz Stadium.
Deputising for the injured Luke Keary at five-eighth, Ryan Matterson played well, while Cooper Cronk took the points in his final individual showdown against former state and national teammate Johnathan Thurston.
It was the Roosters’ eighth win in their past nine matches, and fourth consecutive since their Round 17 bye. They sit third on the ladder with the best defensive record of any side, conceding only 15.05 points on average.
But what didn’t help was the fact that the Sydney Swans played their AFL match against traditional high-drawers Collingwood next door at the SCG at the same time, with that match attracting nearly 40,000 spectators.
In fact, that match drew more people than four NRL matches last week combined – the Bulldogs versus Broncos, Rabbitohs versus Storm, Eels versus Titans and the said Roosters versus Cowboys match.
After a weekend (and to some extent, a season) plagued by poor crowds in Sydney, especially last Thursday and Saturday night, the NRL will be hoping for a decent turnout between the Rabbitohs and Roosters this Friday night.
When the two foundation rivals met earlier this season in Round 6, it was the boys from Redfern who took home the points, winning 26-14 at Allianz Stadium in front of 15,242 fans.
The match was evenly poised at 8-all at half-time, but two clangers from Roosters fullback James Tedesco in as many minutes following the resumption led to the Rabbitohs scoring twice as they eventually took control of proceedings, going on to win their third match for the season.
At that point, both the Rabbitohs and Roosters were 3-3, but since then have lost only five matches between them heading into the rematch in Round 22, where there are sure to be fireworks as we head towards September.
A win for the Chooks will see them not only join the Bunnies on 32 competition points, but also claim top spot on the ladder, though the Storm will have the chance to take it back when they face the Sharks on Sunday.
With this Friday night’s clash shaping as a potential grand final preview, just imagine for a moment if the two teams do meet on the last day of September this year.
Not only would it be their first meeting in a grand final since 1937, it would be the most anticipated grand final in recent NRL history, eclipsing the Rabbitohs’ most recent appearance in 2014, in which it defeated the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs to end a 43-year premiership drought.
The Bunnies and Roosters are the league’s oldest rivalry (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Their title win four years ago was the ultimate reward for the loyal fans which had stuck by them from their brief expulsion from the NRL in 1999 through to the tough couple of years which followed their return to the competition in 2002, and ultimately the glory of 2014.
In the intervention, the Roosters have won two premierships since the turn of the century, winning in the same year the Bunnies returned to the competition, as well as in 2013, when they conquered all before them to claim an unexpected title under first-year coach Trent Robinson.
More than a century on from the foundation of rugby league in Australia, the rivalry between Souths and Easts remains strong, and it would not be surprising if they do meet on grand final day this year, in which case the whole city of Sydney would be likely to come to a standstill.
To the present to finish off, and expect neither side to give an inch this Friday night, especially with the finals just around the corner.
Butch
Guest
I'm glad the Qlder on back page identified that there were 3K and not 6K at the Broncos game at Homebush the other night.
Your kidding
Guest
Just remember this. The NRL have lobbied hard for new stadiums at Allianz and ANZ, that means more games will be moved from the suburbs to these venues. The state government will insist on a decent return on taxpayers investment and will insist on more games at the stadiums and higher rents. The NRL is complicit in the plan for the stadium rebuilds and can't complain if they still don't get the promised big crowds. Just on last weekends crowds, it certainly looked like there was less people in the stands than what was reported. That's a worry. Looks like it's too late now, but more attention should have been given to suburban grounds and teaching the clubs how to get more people through the gate. Not sinking hundreds of millions into ANZ and Allianz.
JN
Guest
well the Rabbidopes nearly lost against the Eels so i don't see your point your trying to make. Also at the time of the Roosters loss to the Rabbidopes, the Roosters season at that point was pretty average. Can't really see them win this one without Luke Keary, if they had him in the side id say the Roosters would win against Souths
Adam
Roar Guru
I reckon the Raiders game could get more people...
MStorm13
Guest
There should be 40,000 plus at this game but I fear they will struggle to get 25,000. I hate Sydney nrl fans so much.
Aw
Guest
What team do you support?! Because if its not the storm or rabbitohs, then they are more of a no go than the roosters! And i suppose you think the roosters can't win it next year either!
Brendan Jones
Roar Rookie
Seriously at what point in time have the roosters been a real threat to take out the premiership??? No long wining streak, did not beat the Storm and probably wont beat the Rabbits, so they are a no go
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Mate, Your Bunnies CHOSE to go to Olympic Park, you can't put that on the NRL. If you want to tell the NRL to enforce that Souths either need to play at Allianz or be shipped to Perth, I am fine with that, but you can't blame the NRL for Souths choosing to go to Olympic Park. As for the SCG; it is a round ground and rugby league is played on a rectangle field, so those two things don't add up.
steveng
Roar Rookie
On the crowds thing, the Olympic stadium is not the answer! Have a look at this '15,132' for the 2 top NRL sides game, what a joke, this would have been doubled or trebled if it was held at the SCG being a Bunnies 'home game' (just like the Swans gamse are)!!! Olympic park has always been too far away from the heartland of the Bunnies! Its going to be the same next Friday night, as the Roosters fans won't travel, this game should have been held at the SCG! Its a pity that the NRL gurus are oblivious to all this and they have let the heartland of the NRL 'the SCG' get away from them and to be taken by that 'hot potato' game the AFL!!! There must be allot of 'old timers' turning in their graves if they would have been around these days!!! For as long as I can remember (in the old days) major games like between the Bunnies v Roosters v Dragons v Tigers v Manly etc were always played on a Saturday at 3:pm at SCG and the SCG was packed. There is allot of infrastructure being built around the SCG and Allianz stadiums and the NRL 'Has to get Fair Dinkum as these are major alternative to that dreaded Olympic park for the Bunnies supporters!!! Get this through your brains the Olympic park is too far away for where the true Bunnie supporters are (Redfern, Mascot, Botany) its a long hike and you have to either catch a train then change over to another train and hike to your seat or its a 1.5 hr drive to get there, especially on a Thursday, Friday or a Saturday night, I'm sure that there are many thousands of fans and families with young kids that won't have a bar of hiking that far and getting home at midnight, that is why crowds are always down whenever a game is held there!!! I know that I've been harping about this for a long long time but, as soon as the NRL brings back the local grounds and disregards that dreaded and disastrous mammoth called the 'Olympic park' the sooner crowds will improve, especially for all of us Bunnie fans!!! As far as the Bunnies are concerned, they will improve and give it a good shot right to the end (barring any major injuries) I have every confidence in this team as their goal is to win the GF this year, if not, they will go close and they will win it for sure in 2019, Go the Bunnies!!!
ac
Guest
The crowds the past weekend were just terrible. I think the game day experience at a NRL game leaves a lot to be desired. The derby should pull 40,000. But will it ?
RandyM
Guest
The derby crowd will be appalling. The NRL simply doesn't care about the crowd number and the clubs have no idea how to promote the game. It will be 22k, maybe 25k max.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
The combination of home games for two teams (Parra and the Bulldogs) who are at the bottom of the ladder against two interstate teams (and throw in a Thursday night) led to 2 of the 5 lowest crowds ever at ANZ. The Rabbits and Roosters should get 35,000 on Friday night. But Souths play Easts in a local derby.... in the West. They won't get 35,000 and if the NRL had any gumption it would be the nail in the coffin for allowing "Souths" to play home games at ANZ,
Paul
Roar Guru
According to this article, the Roosters are in scintillating form yet limped across the line in an "unconvincing win". It's got to be one or the other. I don't think any side has been in "scintillating" form this year. Yes there have been individual games where teams have played terrific football, then they play one or two very ordinary games against opposition they have every right to beat. I also doubt greatly the statement that a Souths/Easts GF would eclipse the premiership Souths won in 2014. It might equal it, but the circumstances were so different - the side had gone from the comp, had been resurrected financially by Crowe and co then reinstated, to a Souths side that has underperformed until this year. A Souths/East GF would probably be a great game but I don't think it would stop Sydney.
Aw
Guest
So, thats another person completely dismissive of the roosters' chances. What a surprise! I do think they have to massively improve on last week and get their defence and attack in order but i think they can challenge for the title. If they play to their potential they can get to the grand final
Brendan Jones
Roar Rookie
I really don't think that Chooks are going to make the GF, the Bunnies will and they'll take on the Storm for the title. After the Chooks got a huge scare from the Cowboys as did the Bunnies earlier in the year. But I just don't see the tri colours taking on the red and green this year. Funnily enough if my research is correct the Bunnies have only played the Roosters 4 times in a grand final with the score being two a piece